Crime

Opinion: Community Must Stay Engaged to Make Police Accountability a Reality

Published

9 years ago

July 26, 2017

By Rashidah Grinage

“If not for the court’s intervention, we have no confidence that correct discipline would have ever been imposed, criminal charges filed, or departmental shortcomings examined.…. Just as OPD required court intervention to conduct a thorough investigation, the City required Court intervention to investigate the Department, and that too raises questions of sustainable progress in the absence of Court supervision.” ~ Ed Swanson

In 2011, it seemed likely that the City of Oakland might soon petition the federal court to end its oversight of the Oakland Police Department (OPD, asserting that the city had fully complied with the tasks set out in the Negotiated Settlement Agreement (NSA) – a set of reforms agreed to in 2003 in the wake of the class action law suit known as the “Riders’.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys had required, in addition to a huge financial settlement that the city also enter into an agreement that would require substantial reforms in police practices, training, supervision and discipline to be completed within five years.

The question People United for a Better Life in Oakland (PUEBLO) asked was, “What’s to prevent the city from backsliding after the court’s supervision ends? What’s to ensure that OPD will continue to operate in an equitable, constitutional manner free of racial profiling?”

We concluded that once the court’s oversight ended, we would have nothing in place to guarantee continued compliance with these reforms, which was unacceptable.

It was clear that OPD was resistant to reform, that the Citizens’ Police Review Board lacked the authority needed to hold the police department accountable, and that none of the city’s mayors had been able to get OPD to comply with the NSA.

What was needed was a structural change: a change in the city’s charter that would transfer authority from the City Administrator to a Police Commission, which would have the power to rule on policy as well as discipline officers.

We knew that we would need to build a strong, community-based coalition to create a ballot measure to achieve those changes. The Coalition for Police Accountability began to take shape and start work on the Charter change in 2012.

By the time of last year’s election, when 83 percent of Oakland voters approved Measure LL, establishing Oakland’s first Police Commission, it was clear that the community had reached the same conclusion that Ed Swanson articulated in his recent report.

The city itself, not just OPD, lacked the ability to adequately manage its police department. In its 14^th year of federal oversight, it is clear that there will be parallel agencies overseeing OPD beginning this fall: the federal court (and its monitor) and the Oakland Police Commission.

In September, the City Council will be presented with a slate of seven candidates for commissioners and two candidates for alternates. Five will be submitted by the nine-member selection pane, and four will have been selected by Mayor Libby Schaaf.

Soon thereafter, the Police Commission will be seated. Its meetings will be public and televised on KTOP, and there will be hearings on issues important to the community.

And just as the commission will be expected to hold the police department accountable, so must the residents of Oakland hold the commission accountable.

We should expect the commission’s work to hasten our exit from federal oversight and begin to provide police services that exemplify “best practices.”

It will take all of us staying engaged and committed to make this a reality.

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Oakland Post: Week of July 1 – 7, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 1 – 7, 2026

Published

3 days ago

July 5, 2026

Oakland Post

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NPRC Joins National Grand Jury Proceedings Seeking Accountability, Constitutional Restoration

Organizers state that testimony will explore historical and political developments that they believe have contributed to the expansion of corporate influence over public institutions and governmental decision-making. Participants are expected to discuss concerns regarding constitutional governance, individual liberties, property rights, and the protection of vulnerable populations, including seniors and persons with disabilities.

Published

2 weeks ago

June 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Photo by Billie Powers.

Special to The Post

The National Probate Reform Coalition (NPRC) has joined Toll and Roll and a growing coalition of advocacy organizations, victims, whistleblowers, and citizen groups in support of a nationally broadcast People’s Grand Jury proceeding scheduled for July 1 and July 7.

Organizers describe the event as a public forum designed to examine allegations of government abuse, judicial misconduct, legislative failures, and the erosion of constitutional protections affecting millions of Americans.

The proceedings will feature testimony from victims, families, advocates, and organizations from across the country who contend they have experienced harm through government actions, institutional neglect, and failures of oversight.

According to organizers, the People’s Grand Jury will focus on concerns involving probate courts, guardianships, conservatorships, child welfare systems, property rights, civil liberties, and what participants view as a growing disconnect between government institutions and the constitutional rights of the people they are sworn to serve.

NPRC is participating because many of the issues being examined mirror the concerns raised by advocates, victims, and families who have participated in its monthly town halls. For years, families have reported cases involving exploitation of elders, questionable guardianships, estate depletion, denial of due process, and a lack of meaningful oversight within probate court systems.

“This proceeding gives victims and advocates an opportunity to place their experiences on the public record,” said Tanya Dennis, lead facilitator of NPRC. “For too long, families have struggled to have their voices heard regarding elder abuse, probate exploitation, and government inaction. This forum allows those stories to be shared before a national audience.”

In keeping with principles of transparency and fairness, invitations have been extended to legislators, members of the judiciary, law enforcement representatives, and other public officials who may wish to respond to concerns raised during the proceedings or defend actions taken by their respective institutions.

One of the primary outcomes sought by organizers is public consideration and support for the People’s Remedy and Restoration Act, a proposed legislative framework that advocates believe would strengthen oversight, increase accountability, provide remedies for victims of governmental abuse, and restore constitutional protections.

The proceedings are expected to be broadcast nationally, providing citizens throughout the United States an opportunity to observe testimony, review evidence presented, and participate in an ongoing conversation regarding government accountability and the protection of individual rights.

Advocates hope the hearings will encourage meaningful dialogue, legislative reform, and renewed public engagement in the democratic process.

Individuals, organizations, public officials, and members of the media interested in attending or obtaining access information may contact the organizers at tollandroll2025@gmail.com.

As Americans continue to debate the future of constitutional governance, judicial accountability, and the protection of vulnerable citizens, the July proceedings are expected to serve as a significant forum for public testimony and civic engagement. For more information, go to https://tollandroll.com